"I invite you to carefully study the social doctrine of the Church so that its principles may inspire and guide your action in the world. May the Holy Spirit make you creative in charity, perservering in your commitments, and brave in your initiatives, so that you will be able to offer your contribution to the building up of the "civilization of love." The horizon of love is truly boundless: it is the whole world!" - Pope Benedict XVI, Message for World Youth Day 2007.

Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, surveys the exciting and history-changing ideas of Pope John Paul II in A Civilization of Love. By popularizing not only John Paul's vision but also that of his successor, Benedict XVI, Anderson hopes to inspire Christians to work toward creating a civilization of love. In such a civilization every person is a child of God. We are all intrinsically valuable. The battle today is between the culture of death (where people are judged by their social or economic value) and the culture of life. Anderson pushes aside religious differences in order to spread a message of hope to those who are weary of the constant turmoil of modern society. While he does specifically challenge Christians to take an active role in their faith, you do not have to be a Christian to participate in the movement toward a civilization of love.

By embracing the culture of life and standing with those most marginalized and deemed "useless" or a "burden" on modern society, Christians can change the tone and direction of our culture. Anderson demonstrates that regardless of our differences, we can come together on the centrality of loving and caring for others. He brings a message of inclusion and hope in the midst of a clash of civilizations and provides a road map for helping Christians understand their role in the world.

About the Author

As Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson is the leader of the world's largest fraternal organization of Catholic laymen. Anderson was special assistant to President Reagan and acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, and later served on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

After teaching at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome, Anderson became the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, D.C. session of this graduate school of theology located at The Catholic University of America.

Named by Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II to several Vatican commissions, Anderson is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Laity and the Pontifical Academy for Life, and is a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

"Anderson has written a book brimming with insights into the transforming power of Christian faith. A Civilization of Love is both a call to personal holiness and a handbook for Catholics who are prepared to take seriously Christ’s command to his disciples to be ‘salt and light’ in the world."

— ROBERT P. GEORGE, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

"Few elements of Catholic social teaching have been more forcefully stated, or more regularly ignored, than our calling to bring Christian teachings to bear on social, political, and economic issues. Anderson seeks to bring that message home."